At Night
by Vivvums
Summary: Will's slightly obsessed, he knows it but accepts it. It's nothing he can do anything about. Until perhaps he started overhearing things at night.
1. Chapter 1

Will watched as the rabbit rotated slowly, it's skin looking no different than it had a minute ago, but now a golden colour from its original pale. He wasn't particularly hungry though, so he let his mind wonder from the food that Much would insist was not cooked for another half hour.

His eyes wandered around the makeshift camp, the one he'd constructed with his own hands. He admired the handiwork that connected all the supporting beams together. He nearly smiled at it, but didn't want to appear foolish to anyone that might be looking at him.

His eyes finally landed on the figure that they were always doomed to. Alan had his back to him now, talking Hushedly to Djaq. If he strained his ears, he could make out the contorted vowels of the other man's accent. And the missing consonants. It was part of what made him so charming, despite the beauty and symmetry of his face.

His mind must have been wandering a lot longer than he'd thought, since no sooner after he'd finished admiring the back of Allan's head did Much announce with obvious pride that dinner was ready. He moved out of his place sitting on his makeshift bed at the back of the camp to join the others at the fire, sitting opposite Allan. The only position left.

He didn't look at the only man, only stating thanks to Much as he accepted a bowl. Much had turned it into a thin soup, served with a big chunk of stale bread. He dunked a corner of it in, trying to pick up one of the larger carrot pieces with it before he withdrew it and took a large bite. He looked up as he chewed, and watched Allan do exactly the same thing. Robin and John were talking now, while Djaq and especially Much also seemed intent on their food. He decided he would watch a for a while, his own hand absent-mindedly feeding himself as he watched the other man finish off his bread, using it to wipe up a small dribble of soup that landed on his chin.

Allan looked up and caught him looking. He'd obviously been smiling a bit, since the man returned it. They both chuckled then, Will's noise more of a snicker through the nose before he averted his eyes. It was meant to imply he'd found the other's behavior funny, when in reality he spent a lot of time smiling as he watched him. Despite his tunnel-vision for Allan, nobody else had noticed the exchange.

"Thanks Much." he said, placing the emptied bowl next to the barrel of water that was used to wash things on the way to his bed. He sat down gently then rotated his position and lifted his legs up to lie down, his arms folding behind his head. His shirt rode up slightly, exposing the bottom of his stomach to the warm summery air. It was unlikely he'd need a blanket that night, so he closed his eyes and attempted to empty his mind so he could sleep.

Hours later he woke to a rustling noise, from somewhere in the hideout. He didn't move, he knew it couldn't be an intruder. His traps would have caught anyone. He opened his eyes to find himself in pitch-blackness, the moon absent that night. He could still make out some vague shapes, enough to realise after looking around that the noise was coming from Allan's bed. He squinted and after a while was able to make out his form. He was laid on his back. Given some more time for his eyes to adjust, he saw that a lot of motion around the man's groin area was the source of the noise. He couldn't anything because despite the heat Allan had used a blanket, but he knew what was going on.

Will's face heated quickly, his mind filling with images of the sin. He couldn't help but imagine it, from Allan's perspective and then from his own. He entertained the idea of getting up to go and have a look, but knew he couldn't possibly. He bit his lip, a habit he'd never possessed until that moment. He could feel that his body had reacted, an aching and tightness from his groin, pressing against his thigh. But he could never do what Allan was doing, it was worse than sex outside of wedlock.

He curled up, trying to ignore the sensations that any movement generated. He clamped his eyes shut and listened as the minutes dragged on. For so long he felt that the sun might come up, he just remained silent and motionless, listening to the other man's tiny gasps and the furious pounding noise. Finally, he heard as the man finished, a long groan that was almost a whisper. Then silence again.

It took many more minutes until Will was able to clear his mind again and go to sleep, still with hours to go until first light.

Boo. This isn't intended to be a one shot, but I doubt I'll continue it if it doesn't generate any interest. It's the first thing I've written in years; the last being a Naruto fanfic I did when I was 14 that was so bad I eventually removed it. I do need a beta, I suppose. But I don't think I made any huge errors literally or with regards to character. If I do continue it, it will certainly have adult scenes :3

Anywho, as such comments will be greatly appreciated.


	2. Chapter 2

Will opened his eyes, rays of sunlight burning them instantly as they broke through the canopy of leaves that serves as the hideout's roof. He winced, covering them as he sat up and let his legs hang over the edge of his sleeping platform.

He was, as always, the second one awake. Much's bed was empty, probably gone to catch their food for the day. He tried to distract himself from the desire to look at Allan's bed, the memories of the previous night too startling and intense for him to entertain. He moved over to the lit fire and was about to fill up a pot and heat some water when he heard the sound of boots frantically crunching the leaves in their path, running.

"Everyone! Wake up!" Much's breathless voice called as the entrance to the hideout swung open, spraying dirt and leaves everywhere. "Heavily guarded caravan. Prince's insignia. North road!" he burst between gasps, rummaging through his possessions to swap his hunting gear for shield and sword.

Everyone jumped into action immediately, all fatigue from the sleep forgotten. Djaq and John were already fully outfitted, Allan was pulling on his boots and Robin had moved to stand at the entrance next to Much, grinning.

"Alright, we're going to have to hurry. It's heading out of the forest, away from Nottingham. It's got to have the Sherrif's money in it, collected at night while we slept. He probably hoped to get it away before dawn, but something must have delayed them." He paused to look at Much and then John. "Get the bow racks in position and loaded." The flustered Much nodded and hurried off, John saying nothing as he followed behind.

"The rest of you, with me. We're going to intercept that caravan." He declared, jumping off the stool he'd had a foot on and running out of the hideout.

Only minutes later after a frantic dash through an acre of forest, everyone was in position. John and Allan were crouched behind a rise on the west side of the road, with everyone else hiding east. Robin had his ear pressed to the earth to listen for signs of the caravan. "They're close, but we're ahead of them. It's a big one."

He paused a little longer to listen before addressing everyone. "I'll stop the caravan alone. At my signal, Much, release the bows. Then I want you and Djaq to show the ends of your bows, rustling some trees with your strings. Allan, Will and John, you'll be behind the caravan now. Once I've stopped it, start dispatching the guards. Silently."

His plan was the simple one, too direct for Will's preference and doomed to fail if the Caravan was large. But Robin seemed as confident as always, so no protest was made. The signal was made for silence as the approach of the target became audible without listening to the floor. Will's heart was pounding in anticipation, he and Allan had been positioned at the very back of the group. An immense amount depended on them.

It finally came into view after what seemed like an eternity of tense anticipation, the hoofs of the horses beating up dust clouds as they stomped on the dry earth. The creaking wagon on it's wooden wheels following behind bumpily.

A guard sat in the driver's platform, with two guards as a vanguard, two as a rear guard, and two on each side of the caravan. They were alert, but suspected no more on that stretch of road than they had the rest.

Once the caravan was in the dead centre of the group, Robin appeared. He calmly stepped out from his concealment at the side of the road, his bow held and two arrows nocked.

"The money you carry will feed the poor for a winter. Be honest with what you have and we'll only take a tenth, lie and we take it all. We have you surround, so don't try and escape." He said calmly. None of the guards wanted to move for fear that one of the arrows of his bow would end up through their chests, for they all knew who he was.

"You'll get nothing from us. Attack him, he only has two arrows ready!" shouted the driver, who must have also been the leader of the group. Robin flicked his hand slightly, signalling a hail of arrows fly over the treetops and bury themselves amid the caravan. Two of the guards were dispatched instantly, those that had been guarding the left side. The advantage of surprise were gone, they had all drawn their weapons and were surging toward Robin.

Will raised his head slightly, the rearmost of the guards immediately visible right in front of him. He looked past the man and saw Allan looking back at him. The man's hand appeared, signalling a countdown from three. The countdown was interrupted as the caravan's driver launched the attack. With a nod to eachother, they jumped out from beside the road. Will's axe sailed into the man's neck before he had managed to take a step, and he saw that Allan's sword had gone straight through the other man's stomach. That one let out a long groan of pain as he lay in a heap on the floor.

Allan ran over to join Will as the guards on his side were already dead. One guard turned to face them, his sword now at the ready. Allan swung for him, and his attack was parried with ease, bringing the weapon into Will's path and interrupting his attack. They couldn't get behind him as there wasn't enough space between the caravan and the raised roadside.

John, Djaq and Much had joined at the front now, battling with the mounted Vanguard. Robin had taken out the Driver with two arrows, the first had hit hidden armour under the heavily padded clothing. The second had cut clean through his neck however, and he sat slumped and leaking blood on to the seat.

John was facing a guard alone, his staff deflecting blows from the other's sword then sweeping for the horses' legs. Robin and Much were working on closing the other in so he had no space to ride and would be force to dismount, while Djaq was deflecting blows from the final surviving guard with her shortsword, unable to get in close enough to wound him.

A horn sounded in the distance behind them and Will spun around in time to throw himself to the floor as an arrow sailed over his head and thudded in the earth behind him. Figured were emerging from the cover on both sides of the road now, a hidden rear guard that had managed to catch up with the caravan. Will panicked, he was the only one who knew what was happening. They were still a distance away, and there was time to act. He turned, shouting "Get down!" to Allan. The man dropped instantly and Will's axe was thrown from his hand, planting itself in the man's face.

He died near instantly, gasping as he fell over on to Allan. Will darted over and hurled the body off, snatching up his axe again as he went. He offered his hand to Allan, taking a sharp breath but disguising it as a gasp of effort as he heaved the other man to his feet.

"We have to go. Reinforcements." He said simply.

Allan looked behind him, the anguish clear on his face. "Aw bloody 'ell," he grumbled, patting Will on the shoulder. "I'll get in the drivers' seat, you get the others." He said, sparing no time as he whirled around and climbed up on to the wagon, fumbling with the rains to get the panicking horses under control.

Will could still feel Allan's hand print on his shoulder even through the thick material of his shirt, his mind fogging for only an instant as he rushed forward. The shouts from behind were loud now, they'd be swamped in seconds.

His legs pounded into action, clearing the side of the caravan to see the battleground the road had become. The guards had been pushed so their backs were to him, hemmed in by the other members of Robin's company. Much had been injured, his shield arm hanging limply as he struggled with the others to fight what must have been a very elite guard. Their surviving horses had deserted them and they were on foot.

Will jumped forwards, propelling himself into the guard that was fighting John and smashing his fist into the back of the man's neck. He'd held his axe in his fist, it giving him the weight necessary to break the man's spine. The sickening crunch was mirrored by two of his own knuckles as they were trapped between the force of his punch and the man's spine, he let out a cry of pain and his axe thudded on the earth.

He got up to his knees and heard Allan's piercingly high whistle, turning to see the cart lurching toward him, preceded by two furious looking horses. He managed to roll out of the way, standing in time to grab on to the back of the wagon with his good hand, both of his feet finding purchase on a ledge at the wagon's base. His stomach lurched as he saw his axe, lying bloodied on the floor and getting increasingly further away from him. The two guards were led on the ground at the sides of the road, having been trampled by the horses.

Arrows were still following them, but their pursuers had not gained on them quickly enough to shoot with any accuracy. He couldn't move around to see if the others had climbed on due to his lame hand, but he could hear their shouts and whistles of victory jeering at the cluster of men that looked ever further away.


	3. Chapter 3

"Well well, lads!" Robin declared, one foot posed triumphantly on the lid of a very large, ornate and thickly built chest. "There's easily enough here to keep all Nottingham's villages going through the winter!" he added, kicking the chest open for emphasis with a deft motion of his heel.

Will's eyes felt as if they'd bulge out of his face, assaulted by a golden light so intense that he might have imagined it. He stared at the mass of golden coins practically spilling out of their wooden prison, and noticed that everyone—especially Allan, was similarly impressed.

"Worth the loss of my hand for a few months, I reckon." Will said deadpan, though he'd still meant it as a light-hearted comment. It earned him a grin from Allan, who walked over to him. Nobody else had noticed, too distracted by Robin's victory speech.

"Ya really saved my arse out there, Will. I appreciate it." He said quietly, a hand lifting up to pat his shoulder, the one not belonging to his damaged hand just to be careful.

Will felt his insides flip at both the compliment and the touch, even the endearing accent to his voice. He'd driven the man from his mind for a time, but it was simply impossible when he was in such proximity. A grin crossed Will's face as he reached out in an automatic gesture to clasp Allan's shoulder in return, pulling him slightly closer too in a way that could easily be dismissed as not being the one-armed hug it was. The action caused him even greater turmoil, but none of it showed on his taciturn face. He'd pulled him close enough to smell him, the earthy and manly smell of someone who hadn't bathed in a decent amount of time. But he was used to the unpleasantness of such a smell, and only processed that it was Allan's.

He cleared his throat slightly as he moved out of the hug, his eyes lingering on the man's face, noting for the hundredth time but with no less pleasure the pleasing way his features complimented eachother.

"I reckon Robin'll let us have a day or two off after this haul. Fancy comin' into town with me?" he asked as if time hadn't stopped. "I've been savin' the pennies, so you can have a few on me. You deserve it."

Will nodded, as if the offer needed any thought at all. "I'm off to bed, then." He said with a final smile to Allan, then extended it to everyone else with a wave.

He lay curled up inside his bed, a mismatch of carpets and skins stacked onto a wooden bench for the base with linens and furs as covers. He thought back to the time several weeks earlier, when he overheard Allan for the first time.

He would lie awake and wait for it to begin, sometimes it was only minutes after everyone was asleep and sometimes it was just before dawn. It didn't matter. Every time he strained his hearing harder, he could hear the other man's short and gasping breaths, imagine the movements of his body under those covers and if he was lucky make out his silhouette in moonlight.

He would bite his lip so hard that he felt a dribble of blood leaking from it, clenching his arms around his body so he wouldn't be temped to touch the dire need between his legs. Staying frozen in that position as he stared the whole time until it was over, his breathing practiced to sound like he was still sleeping. He'd eventually fall asleep, but not until long after Allan.

Morning broke and Will's first thought was the huge and crushing pain coming from his hand. He cried out, muffling it into the pile of cloths he used as a pillow. He'd tossed in the night and managed to end up with his hand underneath him. He bolted out from under the covers, freeing himself and holding his throbbing hand to his chest. He could see that Djaq's bindings and splint were still intact, which was something to be glad for.

He'd woken up even earlier than normal on account of his hand, so he idled away his time staring at and musing over Allan's still-sleeping form. He had always felt something for the man, something that he didn't want to put into words but knew and accepted. Then he stumbled upon the other's secret nighttime activites, and it became an obsession. It was a mixture of fascination, attraction and the lure of the forbidden that drew him to the man like a falling apple to the earth.

He laid back on his bedding and looked up at the roof of the hideout to avoid falling asleep and crushing his hand again, able to see hints of sky through the gaps in it. He simply lost focus of his mind until the light intensified enough to signify morning.

It must have only been an hour or so when the others began to stir. Will shut his eyes and evened his breathing so he could pretend to sleep, then wake up at the same time as everyone else. Of course doing that allowed him to fall asleep immediately.

He had a much more pleasant second awakening when he opened his eyes to Allan's face above his own, and his hand on his arm shaking him awake.

"C'mon, you've been lights-out nearly all evening. We gotta get to Nottingham before the gates close." Will heard him say, the lull of the voice making him want to go right back to sleep. Nonetheless, he pushed through his disorientation for the promise of an evening with Allan. And alone, he noted suddenly as he realised that everyone else was preparing to eat around the fire.

All Will had to do before he was ready to go was secure a thick woollen cloak around his neck, drawing the hood over his head as well. He left his tool belt stashed under his bed, foreseeing no need for it that night. The two crept silently out of the camp, since secrecy was Allan's preference and nobody would bother about their absence once they were already gone.

The two dashed out of the forest, cloaked shadows nearly invisible in the night without even trying. Will could make out Allan's form hurrying ahead of him, neither of their footfalls making sound out of sheer habit. Allan occasionally looked back to check on Will, he could tell from the movement of the shadow's head region.

"Left it a bit late, we'll be lucky if we get there in time. It's pitch-black out 'ere" he heard the man call back to him as they broke the edge of the forest. Nottingham was visible in the distance, a few torches burning dimly on the battlements and those on either side of the gate shedding their light on it. Will breathed a sigh of relief once he could see it was still open.

Still aware of the possibility of them still arriving too late, they sprinted down the road, waving to the guards to hold on just a moment longer as they began to close the gate. Lady luck favoured them as the guard waved back to signal the others to hold the gate as the two finished crossing the bridge.

He scrutinised them intently, making themstand still as he circled them. "What brings you out at this late hour?" he questioned, pausing his circling to stand before them. Allan lowered his head, looking at the guard's feet humbly. "My apologies sir, we're travellers from the south. Got lost in the woods y'see, but we just had to come see Nottingham. Your tavern's famous, ya' know?"

The guard was apparently pleased by the man's humility and he let them pass without so much a glance at Will. Once they were safely through, the gate's slam echoing behind them and a bell signalling it's closing, the two turned off to follow a twisting maze of side streets before emerging back on to a main road, where the light from one of the only still lit buildings beckoned to them from the other side. Exciting music and song emanated from it , as well as other sounds of life that contrasted with the otherwise dead night of a struggling town.

Will followed Allan into the building, tossing back the hood of his cloak and noticing Allan do the same, seemingly with much more grace and practice.

"Over there." He heard him say, pointing to a table near a window and close to the quieter corner of the room, miraculously empty as the drunkards danced in a space that had been cleared for just such a purpose.

They sat down, the wooden chairs creaking terribly as they were sat on. Allan leaned back in his, rocking precariously on the two aged legs. "Didn't expect a bard, he's even got an assistant minstrel!" he said happily, "Tonight really is a special night."

"Yeah.. it is." Will answered after a time, propping his elbow against the table then leaning his chin in the palm of his hand. They had both sat so they could have a view of the entertainment, meaning Will could only look at Allan from the corner of his eye. Not that it mattered, since in the edge of a candle's light all he could see was an outline of the man's face. Of course, that meant Allan could no more see him.

He looked up as two mugs of ale were plopped carelessly on the table, the barmaid sweeping up the pair of coins that had been put down by Allan as payment. Odd, that he hadn't noticed him put them there.

"Why so quiet?" Allan asked cheerfully, "Tonight is a time to celebrate!" He raised his mug and Will mimicked him, finally letting him see that stunning smile. "Cheers." Will said as he bashed his mug against Allan's, letting the liquid slosh on to the table before he withdrew it and finished it in one go.

Almost three hours and half a purse' worth of alcohol saw Will gripping the edges of the table in an attempt to stay upright, his limbs uncontrollable while his face grew hot with effort. Allan was not faring much better, laughing hysterically at his efforts. "Oh! gawd, ...you sh'd see yerse'f" he managed to say between bouts of laughter.

"Shu' up!" Will grumbled, managing to lift his head to glare at the man. As he turned, he noted that about half the people that had been dancing had stopped or gone home, but the musicians were still going strong. "I bet you can't dance!" he huffed, forcing himself into a standing position with a heave against the table.

Allan followed suit, and the two made their way to the space in front of the Bard's platform , stumbling over their own feet. An upbeat tune was being played, but neither cared to make sense of the words. In Will's intoxicated mind, the only thing that existed was the foolishly dancing man in front of him. He was making movements that Will couldn't even begin to describe, ridiculous enough to force him to burst out laughing.

"Wha're you laugh'n at? You aint even dancin'" Allan snapped in a drunken slur, reaching towards both of Will's hands and grabbing them, forcing him to go along with it. Will didn't even notice until it had been going on for several moments, his head swirling.

Allan's mind disconnected from his actions as all he could watch was Will's rosy face looking back at him, even when sweaty and out of breath he managed to be attractive. The pouty lips that sat below his hint-of-moustache, they seemed to magically fit the form of his cheeks that put his face into a permanent near-pout. His eyes then scanned upward, to his eyes. So intense, made even more-so by the brooding eyebrows that accented them with their flat planes.

He stopped his movements and stepped close to will, right up to him so that he could examine his face in more detail. "You're so... perfect" he said in a stupor. An expression of such surprise, shock and any other number of unreadable emotions crossed the man's face that it made Allan return to mild lucidity, the realisation of the situation coming so sudden and hard that it felt like a kick to the stomach.

Will couldn't speak, move or think. It was all he could do to stare at Allan in open disbelief. Though his mouth moved, no words would come to him. His mind stormed with possible responses, then the storm settled into a calm as his eyes caught hold of Allan's. The next instant passed so suddenly that neither knew it happened, Will leaning closer and closer until finally he laid a kiss on the other's lips, his hands rigidly gripping Allan's side and shoulder. Will tried to open his mouth and take it further, caught up in the moment, but Allan realised the danger despite his elation.

His head jerked away and he anxiously looked around. Everybody was focused to the front, and they had been at the back so no-one had seen them. He looked back at Will, his face now betraying such fear that Allan felt responsibility like nothing he'd ever experienced.

"I'm s-s-" Will tried to begin, close to tears as Allan moved to his right side, gripping his torso with one arm and holding Will's left hand over his shoulder with the other. "Don' worry 'bout it.. We'll talk somewhere else." He whispered, "But we have'ta get out."

Will seemed to calm, his tension coming out as a huge sigh as he slumped into Allan's grip, his limbs no less unusable than they had been before. He was led up to the counter.

"Me and my friend have had a bit too much... Can't get home like this can we? You sure you ain't got somewhere for us to stay?" he asked, dropping the remainder of his money on the counter.

She quickly hid her surprise, assuming the man was too drunk to realise how much he'd be paying for a room. "'Course honey, you can use my son's room." She said, quickly swiping the money off the counter before he could change his mind and replacing it with a key she rummaged in her dress to find. "Second on the right upstairs, darlin'" she said with a smile and a flick of her hair, probably trying to charm and squeeze more money from her patrons.

Allan ignored the advances, ambling over to the stairwell and dragging Will up them. It was a short trek down the hall above the pub where the music from below could still be heard. He looked at Allan, barely aware of the closeness of their bodies. Will looked like he was nearly asleep, obviously choosing that over dealing with the situation.

He squinted at the lock and struggled getting the key into the hole, huffing with victory as the lock clicked and the door swung upon. Once they were inside, Allan practically tossed Will on to the bed before locking the door again behind them. It seemed a bit easier on the inside. Allan left the key in the lock so as not to lose it before walking over to the bed, pushing Will over so he could lie down next to him.

He'd positioned Will with his back to the wall, so he could lie on his side and face him. He watched the man's beautiful features as he slept, resisting the urge to reach out and touch him.

_I hope you remember this_ he thought, letting out a sigh.


End file.
